Meat-clamp for slicing-machines.



W.'A. VAN BERKEL MEAT CLAMP FOR SLICING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31| 1913.

IIII

W. A. VAN BERKEL. MEAT CLAMP FOR SLICING MACHINES.

APPucATIoN FILED wim/31.1913.

Panfed Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` objects as will appear the invention consists' 'WILHELMUS DRIANUS VANBERKEL, 0F ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR T0 U. S. SLICING MCHNECUMPANY, 0F CHICAGG, LLINOIS, A CORPOM'LXN 0F MEAT-CLAMP FDRSIiICING-MACHI-NES.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. la, 1916..

Application filed may 31, 1913. Serial No. 770,849. y x

which may be readily and quickly released and adjusted to any desiredextent and as readily locked or secured in any of its adjustedpositions.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this class in whichboth ends of the meatclamping element may be readily adjusted, or oneend adjusted with relation to the other, and the said other end anchoredorsecured against adjustment, thereby rendering it necessary to adjustonly f one end of theffineat clamping element, to release the meat,after 1t has been once clamped.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful in the features of novelty in substantially the construction,combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed vand shown in lthe accompanying drawingsexemplifying this invention and in which:

Figure lis an elevation of a portion ofa slicing machine meat tablehaving a clamp applied thereto, constructedin accordance with theprinciples of this invention. Fig. 2 is a to plan view of the partsshown in Fig. 1. ig; 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3 3, ig. 2.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4 4, iFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of fastening device for one end ofthe meat clamping element. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a fasteningVdevice similar to that shown in' Fig. 5 for the other end of the meatclamping element.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the presentexemplication of this invention, the numeral 10 desi ates generally themeat table upon wh1ch"is mounted the usual sliding meat support 11.Connected wlth and projecting above the support 11 `are uprights orstandards 12- which extend for any desired distance above the supportand are arranged adjacent the sides thereof.

'lhe meat clamping element 13 .extends across the space between theuprights 12 and 1s adapted `to be adjusted upwardly and downwardly uponthe uprights and in order to accomplish this adjustment sleeves 14: and15 are provided, one `of which loosely surrounds each of the uprights12. These sleeves are preferably of some length so asv to have extendedbearings against the uprights, and one end of the clamping element 13 1spivotally connected as at 16 with the sleeve 15.

A swinging member 17 is pivotally supported by the other sleeve 14 bymeans of a suitable pvot pin 18 and the pivot of the member 17 ispreferably arranged transversely with respect to the upright 12. This Imember 17 is provided with a bearing portion 19 into which a stud 20projects and whlch stud is secured to the element 13 in any suitablemanner preferably by one'end of the stud entering a suitable recess inthe element, as at 21 and being fastened against removal by means of asuitable fastening device 22. The stud 20 projects for some distancebeyond the end of the element 13 so as to have an extended slidingengagement with the bearing 19 of the member 17, and the free end of thestud 20 is provided with a head or shoulder 23 which preventsdisengagement ofthe stud from -the bearing;

When the clamping element is' in the posi-- tion shown in Fig. 1 it willbe noted that the headed end of the stud 20 projects for some distancebeyond' the bearing 19 of the mem- -ber 17 and the upright 12, but whenit is desired to release the clamping element and move it intotheposition shown in ldotted lines 1n Flg. 1, which may be accomplishedby sliding the sleeve 15 upwardly upon the.

standard 12, the stud 20 will slide through the bearing 19, and at thesame time the member 17 which carries the bearing 19 will be moved aboutits pivot 18.- en the clamping element 13 is lowered from the dottedline position in Fig. 1, the member 17 will swin in the oppositedirection about its pivot, an the stud 2O will move through the bearing19in the opposite direction.

In order toanchor the sleeves 14 and 15 against adjustment upon therespective uprights 12, suitable devices are provided which will now bedescribed.

v As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the fastening device for thesleeve 14`is in the 'form of a cam-24 through which a pin 26 upon thepin. 26, a portion of the cam will project through the slot so as toengage the upright 12. A handle 31 1s provided for operating the cam 24,or moving it in one direction about its pivot, and an elastic member 32,preferably in the 'form of a coil spring is provided tor moving thecamabout its pivot in the opposite direction. rlhis elastic member 32 has abearing 33 upon the sleeve 14 and also upon a projecting portion 34 otthe cam 24.

lin orderto compensate tor the wear between the cam and the upright 12,adjusting devices 35 in the form ot screws are provided which havebearing in a portion of the'sleeves 14 and engage the pin26 and arearranged to adjust the cam bodily toward or away from the upright 12,which adjustment is permitted by means of the slots 25.

rihe locking vdevice-for the sleeve 15, as shown in Figl'4 is also inthe form of a cam 36 the bearing of which is provided with slots 37similar to the slots 25, and the ca m is mounted for pivotal movementupon a pin 38 similar to the pin 26, and an elastic member 39 similar tothe elastic member 32 is provided for moving: the cam. 36 about itspivot in one direction. Adjusting scr ws40 similar to the screws 35 areprovided or the same purpose as the screws 35.'

The handle41 is connected with the sleeve 15 and a handle 42 isconnected with the cam 36, the latter handle being arranged in such aposition with'relation to the handle 4l, that when the operator graspsthe handle he may also grasp the handle 42 to operate the latter andshift the cam A36 against the stress of the elastic member 39 andthereby unlock the sleeve 15, which will permit the sleeve to be movedupon the upright 12 by means of the handle 41. After the sleeve has beenadjusted to the desired position, all that is necessary is to releasethe handle 42 and the sleeve 15 Will, by meansof elastic member 39 andcam.36 b e automatically locked in its adjusted position, therebyretaining that end f the meat clamping element 13 in its adjustedposition'so that f driva-eso it will not fall down upon the hands of theoperator when the operator is adjusting a piece of meat upon-the support11.

In order to release the sleeve 14 all that is necessary is for theoperato-r to grasp the handle 31 and swing the cam 24. about its pivotto release the sleeve, which may be accomplished by depressing thehandle 31, and then-by exerting an upward movement of the handle 31while holding it depressed, the operator may slide the sleeve 14 uponthe upright 12. When the sleeve has reached the lpredetermined positionall that is necessary to lock it is to release the handle-31, at whichtime the elastic member 32 will move the cam 24 into such a positionthat yit will grip the upright 12.

rlhe looking device :tor the sleeve 14, as shown in Fig. 5, comprises acollar 43 which is preferably arranged beneath thel sleeve andencompasses the upright 12.YAY Vrlhis collar 1is connected to the sleeve14 for pivotal movement with respect thereto by means of a linlr 44having pivotal connection with each. A handle 45 is arranged beneath ahandle 46 which latter is connected with the sleeve 14 so that when thehandle 46 is grasped, the handle 45 may be also grasped, and this handle45 is provided with a stem 47- sliding in a suitable bearing 48 andhaving a pin and slot connection 49 with the collar 43. An elasticmember 50 is disposed between the sleeve 14 and the collar 43, andpreferably surrounds the stem 47 rlhis elastic member 50 tends normallyto move the collar43 in a direction, with respect to the sleeve14 so asto exert a rictional ipping upon the upright 12`to lock the s eeveagainst adjustment. To release 4the sleeve the handle 46 lmay be graspedand at the same time the handle 45 may be grasped to shift the stein 47in a direction to move the collar 43 against the stress of the elasticmember 50, and to position the aperture 51 in the collar 43 so that thecollar will release this upright 12 and the aperture will be in such aposition that the collar and the sleeve may be freely moved upon theupright 12 to any desired position. After adwhich time'the'elasticmember '50 willexert its stress upon thecollar 43 and cause it to gripthe standard or upright 12.

, ln Fig. 6 a similar locking device is shown and 4comprises a collar 52which encompasses the upright 12 and is connected b means of a link `53with the sleeve 15. handle 54 having a stem 55 which is connected bymeans of a pin and slot connection .56 with the collar 52 is arranged.beneath the handle 41 which is connected with the sleeve 15 and anelastic-member 57 similar to the elastic member 50 is provided forcontrolling the movement of the collar 52 `in one direction.

1t is thought that the operation of this device will be fully understoodfrom the its end of the clamping element 13 is lowered, until theclamping element engages the meat. After the sleeve 15 has been forceddownwardly to cause the meat to be firmly gripped, the locking device ofthe sleeve l5 is released andthis sleeve will be automatically locked inposition. After the slicing operation or when it is desired to l sametime that the member 1 remove the meat to place another piece, of meatupon the support it is not necessary to release the sleeve 14 and theend of the clamp adjacent to that sleeve, but by releasing the sleeve15, the end ofthe clamp adjacent that sleeve may be elevated 4and whenelevated to a predetermined position, the' locking device for the sleeve15, when released, will automatically secure the sleeve and that end ofthe clamp which is connected therewith against return movement andthereby hold the clamping element against falling down upontheh'ands ofthe operator, while at the Sametime the element will be held out of theway topermit the meat to be adjusted. During the raising and low- `eringof the sleeve 15 and the adjacent end of the clamp, the bearing member17 will swing about its pivot 18, and the stud or trunnion 20 by meansof which 'that end of ythe clamp is connected with the sleeve 14,

will slide through the bearin 19 at the about its pivot. v1t will alsobe manifest,

.45' end being anchored, there will b e atendency that by the action ofthe joints 17, 18, 19

and the pivot 16, the clamping bar 13 when lowered on the right handend, ythe left hand of the bar 13 to roll the article over the support10 and thereby force, the pins 11 into thearticle, thereby insuring abetter gripping of the article and a positive and firm hold ywhilecutting.

While in the present exem lification o this invention, the preferredorms of construction have been shown and described, itis to beunderstood that many changes may be made in the details of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention.

What is vclaimed as new is 1. A device of the class described em-rbodying a clamping element, spaced uprights, means movable upon theuprights and coperating with the ends of said element for supporting theelement for bodily isr moving l adjustment and-'with which means therespective ends of the element have pivotal connection, and a lockingdevice for securing each end of the element against bodily adjustment.

2. A device of the class described, embodying a clamping element, spaceduprights, means movable upon the uprights for supporting the ends of theelement for bodily adjustment, means for anchoring one end ofthe elementagainst such adjustment, and means whereby lthe bodily adjustment of theother end will impart another and different movement to the saidanchored end of the element. y 4

3. A device of the class described, embodying a clamping element, spaceduprights, means movable upon the uprights and supporting the ends of theelement for bodily adjustment, means for anchoring one end of theelement against such adjustment, means whereby the bodily adjustment ofthe other end will impart another and diEerent movement to the saidanchored end of the element, to impart to the article when the elementengages the article, a slight rolling movement upon the support, andmeans for securing the said other end of the element in any of itsadjusted positions.

4. A device of the class described embodying a clamping element, bodilyadjustable supports individual to the ends of the element and with whichsupports the respective adjacent ends of the element have connection forswinging movement with respect thereto, and means whereby the bodily-its support.

5. A device of the class described embodying a clamping element,supports spaced longitudinally ofthe element and with which the elementhas pivotal connection,

uprights upon which the supports are movable,iand fastening meanscooperating with the supports and uprights for securing the supportsiii'their adjusted positions. l.

6. A device of the class described embodying a clamping element, jsupports spaced longitudinally of the element and with which the elementhas pivotal connection, .uprights upon whichthe supports are movable,means for individually` securing the supports against adjustment, andmeans where y one of the supports may beadjusted upon its upright whilethe other support is secured against adjustment. i

7. A- device of the class described, embodying a clamping element,supports spaced longitudinally of the element and with which supportsthe element has pivotal connection, uprights upon which the supports aremovable, and means whereby an ieu eneivvise sinieing movenfienJ will beimpertedl to the seid; eiemeni7 when one of the suppoiis is edjusizedand the other support is iefseinefi egains; edjusemen; upon thenrespective uprights.

-8a A device ei" the class described, einbodying edjustebiy )mountedksupports, a,

meat clamping element, Ineens pivoteily con.

meeting one endl of the element Wien one of the suppoiis, en'oi meansconnecioing the other end of the elemenflfJ with the other snpnort andfor e swinging and e sliding movement- With respecil thereto. j

9. A device of the class describe embodying edjusfebly mounted.supports, e meet clamping element, means pivotaliy connecting theelement with one of the supports, and means connecting the other end ofthe element with the other support and for 1Wo different movements withrespect 'to the suppone.

i0. A device of the class described em-4 Toodying adjustebly mountedsupports, e

e ineens@ neme "no this specicetion, 1n 'the pesence of two subscribingWitnesses, ontnis i'ifteenth dey of Mey Af D. i913.

vnLHELnUs Anninws viii BERKEL.

Witnesses:

PETER C. on Gnoo'ig GonNEnis M., VAN BERKEL.

